Strawberry Hazelnut Gateau - cooking recipe

Ingredients

4 egg whites
1 pinch salt
1 1/4 cups caster sugar
90 g hazelnuts, ground
1 teaspoon vinegar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
185 g dark chocolate
1/4 cup water
1 cup cream
1 pint fresh strawberries
1 1/2 cups cream, extra

Preparation

Beat the egg whites with salt until soft peaks form, gradually add sugar, beat until the sugar is dissolved and mixture is of meringue consistency.
Beat in the vinegar and vanilla.
Line bases of two 20cm springform pans with greased greaseproof paper which has been lightly dusted with cornflour.
Spread meringue mixture evenly into tins.
Sprinkle ground hazelnuts evenly over meringue in both tins.
With a knife or small spatula, swirl hazelnuts lightly through meringue. Smooth over top of meringue with the back of a spoon.
Bake in moderate oven 35 - 40 minutes or until meringue is crisp to touch; release sides of pan, cool on the base of the pan.
Chop chocolate. Combine with water in top of double saucepan; stir over simmering water until melted; cool.
Remove cakes from bases.
Place a layer of meringue on a serving plate, flat side down; spread with a thin layer of chocolate. Spread whipped cream over chocolate. Reserve 4 strawberries, wash and hull the remainder, cut in half, arrange over cream.
Spread the underside of second meringue with remaining chocolate mixture, place on top of strawberry layer, chocolate side down.
Whip extra cream, cover sides and top of cake and if desired, pipe cream decoratively on top.
Arrange reserved halved strawberries on top of cake. Refrigerate until ready to serve. If desired, brush strawberries used for decoration with warmed, sieved strawberry jam to give them a pretty glaze before arranging on cake. Cheers, Doreen Doreen Randal, Wanganui.
New Zealand.